Hi there, this is Dougall’s husband (and manager) David. Although Dougall and I work together on every aspect of his business, you might not know me because I’m mostly behind the scenes. I’ve been wanting to be more visible by sharing my perspective, so I am reaching out to introduce myself to properly.
Dougall and I have been together for 18 years (married for 13). We make a great team and I feel so lucky that we get to travel often for work. My background is in professional makeup artistry, where I worked in fashion, bridal, and television. My favorite part of the job was helping people feel good about themselves, either through pampering or just by being supportive.
I was delighted when I met Dougall and realized that we both worked with color (mine on a physical level, his more spiritual). Through him I have been introduced to not only color energy, but also various approaches to spirituality and mindfulness.
Outside of work, I’m an avid baker and make a pretty amazing flourless dark chocolate cake (if I do say so myself). Cooking is another passion and I have been flirting with becoming vegetarian. I love diffusing all kinds of essential oils at home for aromatherapy, although lavender and eucalyptus will forever be my OG blend. I am also a big fan of TV and movies.
On that note, I’ve been fascinated by the British royal family ever since I got hooked watching The Crown on Netflix. Have you watched it yet? If you haven’t, please do yourself a favor and watch it ASAP! Aside from the fantastic acting, part of the show’s appeal is imagining what it would be like to live such an opulent fairy tale. I cannot seem to finish an episode without standing taller and trying to speak the Queen’s English. Although I have a feeling my accent makes me sound more like Julia Child than Queen Elizabeth II.
Seeing the alleged inner workings of Buckingham palace reveal that such a life is not all diamond tiaras and richly decorated living spaces. There is a world of obligation and rigidity that comes along with being born into royalty. Because of this, I have been similarly fascinated ever since Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle announced that they are stepping down from royal life.
On the one hand, it is sad that they were not able to live “happily ever after” inside the palace walls. Many of us were enchanted by their whirlwind romance and lavish wedding. The idea of a dashing British prince marrying his beautiful, American commoner girlfriend was just too enticing to resist. You could almost hear a collective swoon as they said their vows.
And yet, it was not meant to be. Reactions to their announcement have been all across the board, but I am more focused on what it took to walk away from their royal duties. Harry did not choose to be a royal, he was born into it. You don’t have to be a royal to know what it feels like to have family obligations. When we are born, we are often expected to fulfill our parents’ dreams for us. And if those dreams do not align with ours, then we’re left with a difficult choice.
Working with color energy as I do with Dougall, Harry & Megan’s decision felt like quintessential purple energy to me. From my own experience, “activating” purple through meditation, guided visualizations and introspective journaling create a strong desire to stand in my own power.
Aside from the fact that purple has been the preferred color of various royal families for ceremonial gatherings, it is a color that invokes a strong sense of leadership. Decisiveness is another clear trait of purple energy, as well as a quiet confidence in one’s own beliefs. It’s too soon to know whether or not Harry & Megan made the right choice, but I have so much respect for the royal purple energy that they are harnessing. What do you think? Is family obligation more important than personal goals?
Purple is the color I focused on while writing this message to you, as it helps me to overcome my natural shyness. Being shy is the main reason I am more comfortable behind the scenes, but being more visible is one of my goals for the New Year so here we are. If you’ve kept reading this far, thank you! I’d love to know your thoughts, and if there are any topics you’d like to hear more about from me.
48 Responses
David, you may be shy but you are delightful and are the sparkling strength that comes through in your teamwork and your business acumen! It would be interesting to hear more about what colors you work with in business. xx
Thank you so much Baba, that means the world to me! I’d be happy to share about the colors I use the most, and will plan to write more soon.
Thank you for introducing yourself!
and thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Dougall is totally delightful and I had always thought you must be special as well.
I see I was right
That’s a very beautiful perspective on the royals. I also love The Crown.
I would love to read more of your thoughts. Lovely to hear from you!
Thank you Lara I really appreciate it!
Greeting David, very glad to hear from you and I have hope to hear more! I adore your husband Dougall, all the colors I see in dreams make much more sense and I am still learning. Regarding beautiful purple, two of my rescued cats I loved dearly, (Matrix & Lucy), had passed away—-both showed me themselves sitting, taking in their new surroundings with the color of purple in heaven. 💜
Hi Holly, I’m sorry to hear about your cats’ passing, it sounds like they were truly loved by you.
Thank you for posting such a wonderful introduction David. I’m looking forward to all that you bring to 2020!
Thanks so much Valya, I appreciate you taking the time to respond!
Thank you for your introduction David and for all what we received from you, too. So nice to hear you find beauty everywhere, colors, smells, flavors and , of course , in group work and loving relationships. It’s so generous of you to share all that with us. Great photo you posted, you both look so nice people. Wish the best.
Thank you so much Lucia, I really appreciate your kind words! And you are exactly right, there is so much colorful beauty to be found in the world. I’m excited to share more and plan to soon.
David- So happy for you that you are reaching for your goals. You are so lucky to be in a loving happy relationship with such a special person. Thanks for sharing. Color is so fun. Wishing you great joy and happiness!
Thank you so much Dina, I’m sending you lots of love!
Hi David. I am happy to finally meet you through this venue. To see a picture of you. To read your interests. Omg, you like so many things I like. I would love your flourless dark chocolate cake recipe!
Dougall’s happiness and joy also comes from his partnership and it warms me when he talks about it. I always wondered who you were. And I don’t write in venues like this. But I had to for this one. To let you know how special it is that I get to finally meet you.
Dougall and you have a special connection that is felt through Dougall and that I can see in your picture……and one, in feeling, that I long for in my life. A loving and supportive connection.
Thank you so much Kathy, I appreciate you stepping out of your comfort zone and commenting. I would love to share the cake recipe and might make a video since those are easier to follow. And you absolutely deserve an unconditionally loving and supportive connection!
Thanks for sharing this, David! I can totally relate to wanting to stay behind the scenes. Your message inspires me to get out of my comfort zone too and become more visible in my own life. Thank you!
Thank you Erin, I really appreciate your feedback. And yes, you should definitely step more into your own light! It feels vulnerable for sure but also really liberating.
I am a very lucky woman. Having you and Dougall in my life for many has brought me so much: love, joy, cake…and lots and lots of laughs. Love you so much and so happy you are stepping out.
Hi David
I have always felt when I have seen you at Dougall’s events that you were always very visible! yes! you are the super organizer who makes sure everything happens!
I love your perspective on the Royals,& I am going to try to focus on the color purple to keep me from procrastinating and getting more of the work done I need to get done! so Thank You for the reminder tip! Look forward to seeing you both in Seattle at East-West Feb 7th…
All the Best & purplest!
David you sound spectacular.
Very blessed that you have each other. I love knowing all those details about you thank you.
Thank you Catherine!
Thank you so much David for sharing your story! You are so awesome! Love and gratitute from Milda Hamm
Thank you so much David for sharing your story! You are so awesome! Love and gratitude from Milda Hamm
I’m almost as proud as Harry as I am of you! Congrats David, love the blog! I also love that Harry “broke rank” so to speak. I am certain it was his destiny and will lead to a more freestyle modern royal culture that he was meant to lead – others will follow soon too. It’s a good thing.
You have many gifts and I am excited to see you share them up front and center David! Woohoo! Congrats! There is plenty of room and color to share for you to shine your light. I look forward to seeing what comes next for you. Big love. <3
Congrats David! (I wrote something a minute ago but it said it was a duplicate? So sorry if I come up 2x)
I am almost as proud of Harry as I am of you David! Congrats on the blog, it is wonderful! I excited to see Harry, “breaking rank”, so to speak. I believe he is setting the tone for a more modern-freestyle royal culture and he was destined to be the leader of this movement. I’m sure we will see more follow suit over the years – it’s a good change! He and Megan will be able to do help more people with less restrictions.
I am purple at my core and I love that you used it to write – perfect! I am excited to see what comes up next for you, woohoo! Congrats David! <3 Big huge hugs!
Thank you so much Michele!
Aloha David,
You had me at cake and essential oils! I am a massage therapist and use essential oils for all kinds of reasons. Plus I have been gluten free for over 25 years, and in the last couple of years no eggs or dairy. It”s so fun to experiment in baking, and cooking. I recently baked a cacao cake, with avocado in the cake mixture and the frosting. I made this for some friends of mine and they said it was the best ever. Plus try using garbanzo juice you can whip it like whipping cream or bake with it. It tastes amazing, not like beans. The reason Im telling you this is because I feel different colors around me when I use the oils and when Im baking or cooking high vibrational foods. Plus music can change the colors also. I am so glad you reached out and would love to hear your comments.
So great to hear from you, David! Looking forward to watching your journey unfold!!
Thanks for sharing. I also have the goal to step out and use my voice but will do so in writing. I know I have a lot to share but did not have the confidence or felt it was worthy. But I am learning to be more vulnerable and I love your perspective on Harry and Megan. I applaud them for making their choice for them. It is not always about the money.
Being there when you two were first starting your love affair at dinner at Carol’s it was obviously how much in love you were and I’m so happy you are still together!!❤️❤️❤️
I’m a loving rebel and being bound to royal traditions and saving face would squash my freedom-seeking, authentic heart! I’m ecstatic anyone steps into their own power! Grateful you are finding the courage to do it in yet another way yourself, David! I just love Dougall and feel like we’re old friends somehow, and I don’t actually even know him! But I feel like the two of you must be some of the most enjoyable and authentic people in the world and that makes me feel inspired and as though I have a joyous yellow beam radiating from my heart! Bless you, kindred spirits!
Wow Becky thank you so much for your sweet words! I’m grateful for your support and am sending you lots of love. 💖
Well done David! Look forward to hearing more about your interests!
Thanks for taking the time to comment Terri!
David, I met you years ago in Dallas, and I loved this blog. More please.
I think your mention of the royals hits home for so many who have had to make choices about their family of origin. At least we didn’t have the whole world weighing in on our decisions!! But having watched both seasons of the Crown and some documentaries, we have a glimpse into the Queen’s viewpoint and having seen Harry’s lifestyle over the years, we can better understand both sides to this story. Thanks for bringing up the topic and look forward to your next one!
Thank you for your feedback and kind words Debra! I totally agree, setting boundaries is challenging enough without the whole world watching. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment.💜
David it would be an honor to follow you.
Thank you Cheryl!
OMG that was a delightful and insightful post about the royals and claiming courage from purple. I totally get it about being shy to shine your Brilliance…I’m working on that in 2020 as well. And you and Dougall are such an inspiration of a beautiful relationship. You guys are very inspiring. I look forward to meeting you both on the Alaska cruise.
Hi David, nice to meet you. You and Dougall seem a wonderful couple.
I would love to read more about you essential oil use one day, lavender and eucalyptus seems like a lovely blend and very interesting how it could influence a room energetically.
Have a nice day and blessings.
How fun to hear from you, David thank you for introducing yourself, exposing yourself and giving your insight, all super fun!
I love getting your perspective of how you use color as a participant in Dougall’s teaching. Keep sharing it’s wonderful!!
xo
Thank you Molly, I feel encouraged to keep sharing!
Hi David! I was excited to read this blog from you! We spent a tiny bit of time on the phone when I was scheduling with Dougall a couple years ago and I remember feeling such a wonderful energy from you. I wondered if you were “Dougall’s David” and figured you probably were because it wouldn’t surprise me that someone as lovely as him would have a partner equally as lovely. Anyway, I’m happy to see you peek out from behind the scenes and loved what you wrote! Hope to see more! xxx
Thanks so much Tammy!
David, You are a perfect match for Dougall. Your addition to my family was so over due. I think you also make a very special son-in-law. Love DF
Hi! Hi! Hi!
What a fabulous surprise it was to read a message from you, David! I used to listen to Dougall on an internet radio program that was broadcast out of Seattle back in the day. 🙂 Am I remembering correctly that you would sometimes comment from the background?? I feel like I somehow came to know you a little bit from your comments and your sweet voice!
I lost some of the vision in my left eye in the past few years which makes putting on makeup (among other things) very difficult. Hooray for you for bringing some of your artistry to this subject matter! Indeed, everything that you wrote about makes my heart feel tender towards you!
Your name is one of my all time favorite names! If I am correct it means “beloved of God.”
I am so pleased that you and Dougall found each other and that you have been loving each other for some time now!
I wish you both all of the happiness in the world!
Thank you so much for your kind words, and yes that was me in the background on the radio in Seattle! As far as the vision loss, I’ve worked with a couple of clients who had similar issues. In this case I usually recommend focusing more on skin care, because it’s more important to be able to recreate the experience whenever you like. It will also give you long term results, unlike makeup which is only temporary. Skin care is a great way to feel pampered without having to be precise with the application. You can even incorporate color visualization into any skin care routine, such as visualizing a color while you massage moisturizer into you skin. This is something I personally love doing on a daily basis and it feels like a mini-meditation.
Hi David,
This was so nice of you to reach out and share a bit about yourself. I truly appreciate having more insight about you. I love the support you and Dougall have for one another and how your relationship has directed you on a more spiritual and mindful path. I love that!! And I bet your flourless dark chocolate cake is pretty amazing. It sounds truly yummy!!! Maybe you will share your special recipe on one of your future blogs. Hint, Hint, Hint! Thank you so much for writing this. I look forward to the next topics.